Hand-held electronic device with multiple input mode thumbwheel

ABSTRACT

A thumbwheel input device oriented on an incline and comprising a wheel such that a first input is generated by rotation of the wheel about its axis, and a holder also having an axis of rotation and a portion thereon to receive the wheel whereby a second input is generated by rotation of the holder about the second axis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to handheld electronic devices (“mobile devices”)having an auxiliary input device. Specifically this invention relates toauxiliary input devices such as multiple input mode thumbwheels.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In most mobile devices with a thumbwheel input, the thumbwheel isoriented so that the thumbwheel would be accessed on a horizontal axisor a vertical axis to the mobile device's housing. A horizontalorientation of a thumbwheel, in relation to the device housing, takes upsignificant space on the printed circuit board of the device (hereinreferred to as PCB). A vertical orientation of a thumbwheel, in relationto the device housing adds significant overall thickness to the deviceand device housing or undesirable protrusion from the housing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a thumbwheel input devicecharacterized by a wheel having a first axis of rotation whereby a firstinput is generated by rotation of the wheel about the first axis, and aholder having a second axis of rotation and a portion thereon to receivethe wheel whereby a second input is generated by rotation of the holderabout the second axis.

In one aspect of the invention, a mobile device includes a thumbwheel asan embodiment of an auxiliary input device. In most mobile devices witha thumbwheel input, the thumbwheel is oriented so that the thumbwheelwould be accessed on a horizontal axis or a vertical axis to the mobiledevice's housing. In this embodiment of the device, the thumbwheel isoriented on an incline from the vertical in order to maximize PCB realestate. Orienting the thumbwheel on an incline will optimise the amountof space on the PCB and the thickness of the device housing.

Further features of the invention will be described or will becomeapparent in the course of the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, the one ormore embodiments thereof will now be described in detail by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the device with a multiple input modethumbwheel;

FIG. 2 is a cut-away view of the device showing the location of thethumbwheel;

FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram of the top of the thumbwheel assemblydescribing the modes of movement of the thumbwheel;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the thumbwheel assembly;

FIG. 5 shows the translation of the thumbwheel assembly from a firstposition to a second position;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the thumbwheel assembly detailing thecomponents of the thumbwheel assembly;

FIG. 7 is a block drawing for the thumbwheel input for a handheldelectronic device;

FIG. 8 is a typical example of a circuit for a thumbwheel input.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of the device with a multipleinput mode thumbwheel. In this embodiment, the thumbwheel 12 isdisplaced on an incline from the vertical of the face of the mobiledevice housing 10. The wheel 14 protrudes through the device housing 10.

FIG. 2 is a cut-away view of the device showing a preferred location ofthe thumbwheel 12. The PCB and other associated components thatcooperate with the thumbwheel 12 receive and react to input provided viathe thumbwheel is not shown. This drawing shows the bottom 10A of thedevice housing and the placement of the thumbwheel 12 assembly withinthe housing.

FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram of the top view of the thumbwheel assemblydescribing the modes of movement of the thumbwheel. In this embodiment,the wheel 14 sits in the holder 16, which is oriented on an angle fromthe horizontal plane 19 of the device housing 10. In a preferredembodiment, this angle may be within a range of 0 to 45 degrees from thehorizontal plane 19 to provide optimum space for PCB and PCB components,to reduce overall thickness of the device housing 10, and to beoptimised for use with the user's thumbs.

The user may make inputs with the thumbwheel by rotating in clockwise orcounter-clockwise the wheel 14 around the thumbwheel's axis of rotation18, as illustrated by the rotation r, or by pressing down on the wheel,as illustrated by force F. In traditionally oriented thumbwheel inputs,the thumbwheel is pressed down toward the back of the device. Becausethe thumbwheel assembly is tilted on an angle in this embodiment, asecond axis of rotation 20 exists along the bottom of the thumbwheelassembly 12. When the user presses the exposed part of the wheel 14 froma first position, down toward the back of the device onto, thethumbwheel 12 translates to a second position approximately 0.5 mmdownward. This motion of pressing downward onto the thumbwheel causesthe thumbwheel to rotate around the second axis of rotation 20 in arocking or seesaw motion, as illustrated by the rotation R. The movementof the thumbwheel in this direction is limited by the thumbwheel holder16 and the device housing 10.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the thumbwheel assembly. This view shows thebottom of the thumbwheel holder 16. An arm 16A, comprising a baseportion and an arm portion, extends around the bottom of the assemblytowards the holder for the purpose of engaging the bottom of the holder16 and activating an input. Between the arm 16A and the holder 16 is atactile switch 30. When the user presses down on the exposed part of thewheel, the wheel 14 is stopped by the arm 16A of the holder 16 and thetactile switch 30. The tactile switch 30 is thus activated, receiving aninput and the arm 16A acts as a stop. The tactile switch 30 may beeither attached to the bottom of the holder to engage the arm, or it maybe attached to the arm to engage the bottom of the holder.

A further embodiment of the invention would be to eliminate the arm onthe holder. In this example, part of the device housing may be used toperform the stop function of the arm. The device housing may have aprotrusion on which the assembly may sit so that the tactile switch maybe attached to the protrusion or if the tactile switch is on the bottomof the assembly, it may engage the protrusion.

FIG. 5 shows the translation of the thumbwheel assembly from a firstposition to a second position. When the user presses down on the wheel14 in the direction of F, the thumbwheel assembly 12 moves from a firstposition β₁ to a second position α₂ around the second axis of rotation20. When the user releases the wheel 14, the thumbwheel assembly 12returns to the first position β₁. The translation in the direction ofthe force F is such that the thumbwheel assembly 12 will engage thetactile switch 30 to detect or receive an input.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the thumbwheel assembly. The wheel 14 sitson a rotating encoder switch 34 such that the lower axle 14A of thewheel 14 sits in an recess on the rotating encoder switch 34 allowingthe wheel to rotate around its axis of rotation 18. This switch detectsinputs to the device whenever the wheel is rotated around the wheel'saxis of rotation 18. This switch is attached to the thumbwheel assemblyPCB 32. The thumbwheel assembly PCB 32 attaches to the device PCB by aflex circuit (not shown in this view). These parts fit into thethumbwheel holder 16 such that the wheel 14 and the rotatable encoderswitch 34 is supported by a U-shaped bracket 16B. The upper axle 14A ofthe wheel fits into the provided aperture 16C in the upper bracket ofthe U-shaped bracket 16B and the rotatable encoder 34 switch fits intothe provided indentation 16D in the lower bracket of the U-shapedbracket 16B. The rotatable encoder switch 34 attaches to the thumbwheelassembly PCB 32, which is placed on the under side of the lower bracketof the U-shaped bracket 16B. The thumbwheel assembly PCB 32 is incontact with the tactile switch 30 on the opposite side of this PCB thanthe rotatable encoder switch 34. The tactile switch engages the holderarm 16A in order to limit the movement of the thumbwheel about theholder's axis of rotation 20.

FIG. 7 is a general block diagram depicting the inputs of a typicalhandheld electronic device. A typical handheld electronic device wouldusually include a microprocessor 400 that controls the components of thedevice such as a display, FLASH memory 600, RAM 700, and inputs in theform of a keyboard 900, and an auxiliary input such as a thumbwheel 1000which would include thumbwheel control logic 1010.

FIG. 8 is an example of typical logic circuitry 1010 associated withthumbwheel 1000. This diagram is meant for example purposes only and asone skilled in the art would understand, logic circuitry for athumbwheel is not limited to this example. Thumbwheel 1000 outputsquadrature signals phase A 1021 and phase B 1022, which are processed byD flip-flops 1031 and 1032 to present signals 1041 W_UP and 1042 W_DN tomicroprocessor 400. Signals 1041 and 1042 represent, respectively, auser rolling the thumbwheel up and rolling the thumbwheel down.Preferably, another detectable input movement from the thumbwheel isdesirable. One such input movement implementation would produce anadditional input signal derived from pushing the thumbwheel toward therear of the device. Hence, the thumbwheel of the present invention haspreferably measurable rotatable and depressible input movements.Although the description that follows is specifically relating to athumbwheel input device, it is to be understood that other suitablethumb-based auxiliary input devices having multiple input detectablemovements are envisioned and well within the scope and spirit of thepresent invention.

Another embodiment of this circuitry may have the functionality of the Dflip-flops 1031 and 1032 embedded within the processor.

It will be appreciated that the above description relates to thepreferred embodiment by way of example only. Many variations on theinvention will be obvious to those knowledgeable in the field, and suchobvious variations are within the scope of the invention as describedand claimed, whether or not expressly described.

1. A thumbwheel input device characterized by: a. a wheel having a firstaxis of rotation whereby a first input is generated by rotation of thewheel about the first axis; and, b. a holder having a second axis ofrotation and a portion thereon to receive the wheel whereby a secondinput is generated by rotation of the holder about the second axis.
 2. Athumbwheel input device of claim 1 further comprising: a. a first inputdetection means for detecting input about the first axis; and, b. asecond input detection means for detecting input about the second axis.3. A thumbwheel input device of claim 2 wherein a portion of the wheelis partially protruding outside a housing enclosing the thumbwheel inputdevice so as to permit the receiving of the first and second inputs
 4. Athumbwheel input device of claim 2 wherein the first input detectionmeans is a rotating encoder switch.
 5. A thumbwheel input device ofclaim 2 wherein the second input detection means is a tactile switch.